twenty something years
by asunnydisposition
Summary: Shindou and Kirino had known each other since kindergarten. They eventually enrolled in the same school and became classmates. They'd been friends since they were younger but only became best friends when they were in the third grade. During their first year in junior high, Kirino realized that his feelings for ShindouIMSOMADWHYISNTTHEREENOUGHSPACEFORTHECOMPLETESUMMARYOHMYGOD
1. Chapter 1

Shindou held onto his mother's hand tightly, not wanting to let go in fear that he would never see her again. His mother, a tall and slim woman with hair just like his, tutted and shook her head. She bent down so that she was level with her son and started to gently pry off his fingers. When his pinky finger was the only one left, Shindou's other hand grabbed his mother's unoccupied one and the process would start again.

His mother grew impatient and smiled at the kindergarten teacher standing by the door. She gave her a sheepish smile which the other returned, fully understanding that the first day of school was always the most difficult.

"Now Takuto, you're unreasonable right now. I have to go soon and you know that," she reprimanded him in a soft voice. "I'll come back for you early and after that we can go get your favourite ice cream."

Shindou stubbornly shook his head, gripping her hand even tighter.

"Takuto!" She winced when she felt Shindou's fingernails dig into her skin. She shook off her son's hands and clasped them in her own. "Takuto, look at me." Her voice had grown quieter, tired of her son's shenanigans.

Shindou refused, looking down at his feet but his mother could see the tears that were threatening to fall.

"This won't last forever. The school day will be over before you know it, just you see. You might even make new friends here."

Shindou looked up at his mother, his bottom lip shaking. His mother sighed and patted him on the head.

"I don't want to make new friends, I want to go back!" He cried, his voice wavering. The teacher shuffled awkwardly before pointing inside. Shindou's mother gave her a tired smile and nodded. Once the woman had gone inside, she picked him up and started to coo small words of comfort, rubbing Shindou's back when he started to cough.

When he was finished crying, she put him down and took out a handkerchief, wiping his tears and snot.

"Are you ready to go in now?" She asked, hoping that he wouldn't start crying again. She glanced at her wristwatch, noting that she was going to be late if he started another scene.

Shindou rubbed his eyes, tired from crying, and said yes. She took his hand and walked them towards the door. Once they were inside, she looked for the teacher and started to wave when she found her. The kindergarten teacher, a slender woman who looked like she was in her early twenties, walked over to them, adjusting her glasses.

Shindou grabbed his mother's skirt and hid behind her legs. He puffed out his cheeks when the woman reached for his hand.

"Takuto can be a little shy around new people," she said, ruffling his hair. "I apologize in advance if he's a little stubborn at first. I'm afraid he gets that from me." She pushed him towards his teacher.

"Oh, I know what you mean. My nieces and nephews can be like that as well." The woman giggled, offering her hand to Shindou again, waiting to see if he'd take it.

Shindou eyed the woman slowly. She was wearing a yellow smock that had a duck on it and her black hair was cut short. He met her eyes and he was greeted by a bright grin. He took a step forward and slowly reached for her hand. She took his hand and shook it, her voice just as sunny as her smile.

"It's very nice to meet you. My name is Saito Akina. What's your name?"

Shindou looked at his mother, looking for reassurance.

"Go on. Introduce yourself." She said.

"Shindou Takuto." He said, voice so soft that Akina had to lean in closer.

"Well, it's a pleasure to meet you, Takuto-kun. And you must be his mother, correct?" She asked, turning her attention to Shindou's mother.

"Yes I am. My name is Shindou Maeko. A pleasure to meet you, Akina-san."

While the two women were busy with formalities, Shindou started to scan the room of the small kindergarten.

At the front of the room was a medium sized whiteboard with the names of the students written in blue. Beside their names was a column with red stars. Some of the names had as many as five stars while there were some with two or even one star. Next to the whiteboard was a blue bookshelf with several, small paper cartons on top.

There were children busy colouring in their seats, two girls were giggling at joke that they shared, and a boy was dipping his sleeping seatmate's hair in blue paint. Shindou watched as another boy took the boy's other pigtail and dipped it in yellow paint. The children who weren't painting tried to contain their laughter, paint covered hands covering their mouths.

Shindou felt himself frown and he pulled away from the teacher, who was finishing up with his mother. Akina noticed that Shindou had let go of her hand but didn't mention a thing, smiling since it seemed like he was starting to like his other classmates already. He might even have a friend or two before the day ends. Bidding his mother goodbye - Maeko had tried to peek in and call Shindou herself but was stopped by Akina, who told her that if she called her son now, he might make another scene and not let his mother go - Akina sighed and felt like patting herself on the back. She did a pretty good job, if she did say so herself.

A high pitched scream shook Akina out of her self-congratulatory daydream. Quickly finding the source of the scream, she made her way to the small group of children - when did that happen? She was only gone for a few minutes – and quickly stopped the fight before it even happened.

A little boy with a shaved head was rubbing his eyes, smearing green paint across his eyelids, while another boy with pink pigtails was trying to grab the other.

"Everyone go back to your seats. Mito-kun, Ranmaru-kun, both of you are coming with me," Akina held their hands, walking them outside to get the both of them cleaned up. She turned to face the class and clapped her hands. "Alright everyone. Please continue your paintings and then we'll hang them outside to dry later, okay?"

Once the class had settled down and everyone was busy with their paintings, Akina pulled aside the two boys. Mito had stopped crying and was starting to hiccup now while Ranmaru was shooting him the meanest glare a five year old can muster, blue and yellow paint drying on his pigtails.

She took some tissues and handed one to Mito, telling him to blow his nose. After she was done cleaning him up – the green paint took a bit of work but she was able to get everything off- Akina took one look at Kirino and wondered how the hell was she going to get the paint off.

Taking more tissues and wetting it slightly with water, she undid Kirino's pigtails and started to rub the paint off.

"Now then, do you mind telling me what's going on?" She asked, finding it harder to remove the paint from his hair.

Asking them what had happened was a bad idea since both boys started telling their own version of the story. Their voices started to grow louder and louder, catching the attention of some of their classmates. Akina looked over her shoulder and saw them trying to get a peek of what was happening.

"Are you all done with your paintings?"

The children who tried to peek, instantly went inside. The only one left standing there was Shindou.

"Takuto, sweetheart, why don't you go inside and ask someone to help you. Maybe Hana can help you," Akina said, waiting for the other boy to go inside so that they can finish. "Hana-chan, please help Takuto-kun here with his painting."

A little girl with red hair tied in a ponytail appeared, her cheek had a bit of yellow paint on it. She grinned at Shindou and took his hand, leading him back inside. Akina could hear her chattering a mile a minute. If anyone could get him to be more talkative and responsive, it would be Hana.

Now that they were alone, Akina went back to trying to remove the paint.

"Mito-kun, what happened?" She asked him. "And why is there paint in Ranmaru-kun's hair?"

Mito shook his head, refusing to tell his teacher that he was the one who caused it. "I don't know what happened. Maybe he rolled over in his sleep and got paint in his hair?" He said, not making eye contact with either Akina or Kirino.

"No way! You and Shozo-kun were the ones who dipped my hair in paint!" Kirino yelled back, his fists clenching. His eyes started to sting but he wasn't going to let Mito have the satisfaction of seeing him cry.

"How would you know? You were asleep!"

"Mito-kun, that's enough," Akina said sternly, making the other boy go quiet. "Ranmaru-kun," she said, making him meet her eyes. "Are you sure Shozo-kun also dipped your hair in paint?"

Kirino nodded back weakly, rubbing his eyes. "Yes. It was Mito-kun and Shozo-kun who did it."

"Who told you?"

"The new kid," He said, a little more loudly this time. Since someone saw who did it, he was sure that she would believe him. "He even tried to stop the both of them. Then I woke up."

Akina nodded and made a mental note to tell this to Shindou's mother later. "Anything else?"

Kirino shook his head. He glared at Mito but this one was less filled with daggers and was more tired. Mito tried not to look at him but found it impossible.

When Akina had finally removed the paint from Kirino's hair, she told him to go inside and call Shozo. He came back with Shozo in tow, his feet dragging him slowly and face burning with shame at being ratted out. While Akina made Shozo confess to what he did, Kirino stood proudly, shooting them both smug grins.

The two boys apologized to Kirino, who told them that it was okay but they would have to give him their candy for the next week. Mito and Shozo began to offer him other things - toys, their favourite box of crayons - just not their candy. Kirino declined, telling him that he wanted their candy and that was that.

Akina stepped in and reminded Kirino that both boys had already apologized, so that he should be a little nicer to them. He thought about it for a few minutes before finally agreeing. He told them that they should give him their candy for the next two days. Both of them realized that they couldn't get out of this one so they agreed. The three of them shook hands with each other, sealing the deal.

The classroom was peaceful again, the three boys had already made peace with each other, and the other kids had stopped hounding them. Akina scanned the classroom and asked if everyone was finished. Everyone, except for Shindou, replied with a cheery yes.

Akina went around the room collecting the paintings, complimenting the work of each child. Once she had gotten to Shindou, who still wasn't finished, she told him to take his time and that there's no rush.

After all the paintings were with her, she ushered the children outside to play, telling them that she would call them for snacks later on.

Shindou sat alone, staring down his paper. He had coloured the whole sheet blue and now he didn't know what to paint next. He glanced at the other kids playing outside, wishing that he could go out as well. He sighed and dipped the paintbrush in red, swirling it around. He picked it up and dropped it on to his paper, the brush splattering spots on the blue background.

"You're doing it all wrong." Shindou looked up and saw the boy from earlier.

While Shindou tried to form words, the boy had already pulled up a chair and sat next to him. He grabbed Shindou's painting from him and frowned. He turned it over, tipping his head, trying to make sense of what was in front of him.

"Akina-sensei told us to paint our favourite vegetables. What's this s'posed to be? Some kinda weird flying tomatoes?" The boy asked, giggling at the thought of flying vegetables.

Shindou huffed indignantly, snatching it back from him. "They were supposed be corn."

The boy doubled over, clutching his stomach as he laughed. "Corn isn't even red!"

Shindou knew that corn wasn't red, he just wanted to pass time until his mama came to pick him up. He got up and took his materials with him. The boy was still laughing when he had already moved tables. Maybe helping him earlier wasn't a good idea, he thought.

The laughter eventually died down and he heard the sound of a chair scraping the floor, hoping that the other boy would just go play or leave him alone or something. The chair next to him was soon occupied by the same boy, leaning over to look at Shindou's painting.

"Please don't do tha-"

"Thank you for helping me. My name's Kirino Ranmaru. What's yours?" He asked, beaming at Shindou.

Shindou stuttered, swallowing down his words and gaping at Kirino.

"Hey, you look like a fish. Stop that. I asked you what your name is." He asked again, this time taking the brush from Shindou and using the wooden end to poke him.

Shindou flinched when his side got poked. "Shindou Takuto."

Kirino grinned, handing him back his paintbrush. "Thanks for helping me, Takuto-kun."

Shindou smiled back. He took the brush from him and stirred the small jar of yellow paint. Shindou, suddenly aware that his new friend – were they friends? He hoped so. At least he would have someone to play with now – was watching him, felt like showing off how good he could paint. Taking long strokes, he made the outline of the corn and when it was time to colour it in, he made sure to do it carefully, just like his mama taught him.

Kirino, seeing that his new playmate – he had decided that they were friends – was good at colouring inside the lines, watched in awe. Shindou was definitely a good painter and he didn't make too much of a mess.

"Hey, you look like a fish." Shindou said, poking Kirino's cheek with the wooden end of the brush.

Kirino stuck out his tongue, making Shindou giggle. "Just go back to painting already."

There were several children left in the classroom, the others had already been picked up. Shindou and Kirino were by the blue bookshelf, the latter telling him about the paper cartons. He took his paper carton and showed it to Shindou. There was dirt and a small, green sprout inside the carton.

He explained that they had planted beans and they were waiting for them to grow. Once they were big enough, they were allowed to take them home.

"I hope mine grows really big." Kirino said, looking at the carton in his hands as if he had planted golden seeds instead of ordinary beans.

"How big?"

"Really, really big!" He said, stretching his arms as wide as he could. "I want it as big as a tree. No! Maybe even bigger!" Kirino laughed. He wanted it to be as big as the beanstalk that Akina-sensei had read to them once. He could go on adventures and take Shindou with him.

"If you want, we can go talk to Akina-sensei and you can grow your own too!" The thought of going on adventures with his new friend made him feel excited and jittery. He reached up and placed the carton back on the bookshelf before grabbing Shindou's hand and running up to their teacher.

Akina, who had been busy fixing the mess on her desk, was suddenly bombarded with questions.

"Akina-sensei, can Takuto-kun have his own carton and beans?"

"Akina-sensei, how big will Ranmaru-kun's beansprout grow?"

"Akina-sensei, when can Takuto-kun have his own carton?"

"Akina-sensei, can I have my own carton now?"

Maeko waited for her son outside, politely chatting with another mother. She saw Akina and asked if her son was ready to go. Akina gestured to wait a little longer.

Akina finally stepped out, followed by Kirino and Shindou. Both boys were talking excitedly about the future beansprouts, telling each other that if that their beansprout did grow big enough that they could climb it, they promised that they'd take the other and go on adventures and be heroes and save princesses.

"Ranmaru." The woman who was chatting with Maeko, called her son, beckoning him to hurry up.

"Mama!" Kirino ran up to the woman and showed her the painting that he did in class. While she complimented him on his wonderful painting, Shindou had gone up to his mother and told him about his painting and that he was going to show it to her tomorrow since it was still drying.

Kirino, who had been watching Shindou talk with his mother, suddenly blurted out, "Takuto-kun's mama is really pretty!" When he realized what he had just said, he covered his mouth instantly, cheeks colouring a little.

Maeko, taken by surprise by the sudden outburst, thanked Kirino, making him blush even deeper.

"Thank you," she looked at her son. "Takuto-kun, what's your friend's name?"

"Ah, his name is Kirino Ranmaru," he said proudly. "Ranmaru-kun's mama is also very pretty." He added, looking up at the woman who was holding his friend's painting. She gave him a smile and thanked him, telling her son that he had such a well-mannered friend.

Both boys said their goodbyes, bidding their teacher goodbye as well. Kirino made a promise that he would save Shindou a seat tomorrow in class then they could continue their tour of the classroom. Shindou agreed and said that he would like that a lot.

When they parted ways, Kirino paused the story he was telling to his mama and looked behind him, waving goodbye to his new friend.

Shindou looked over his shoulder and waved. For the first time since they moved here, he was already looking forward for tomorrow.

This was supposed to be a short fluffy drabble thing but I enjoyed writing it so I…yeah…wooh!

Another multichapter fanfic I'm going to be working on. So now I have TSoG and this. Basically, 2 multichap fics ahahahahahaaaha...

This hasn't been proofread yet, I literally just wrote this on a whim because 'oh wow hmm Kirino's a really great character it's a shame that he wasn't that very well developed oh what if I did that and elaborate more on his and Shindou's relationship growing up yeah that'd be cool'. If there are any grammatical errors, don't be afraid to tell me. Thank you so much for reading! Feedback and likes are very much appreciated!


	2. Chapter 2

WELL THIS IS AWKWARD

I FOUND THIS IN ANOTHER FOLDER TITLED INTERIOR DESIGN BULLFCKINGSHIT

THE ORIGINAL CHAPTER 2

OHMYGODIMSOSORRYTHISISREALLYEMBARRSASSING

* * *

The kettle whistled a shrill note, making Takuto stir in his sleep. The smell of eggs wafted through their small apartment and the smile on his face started to grow. He sat up, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes and thought back on yesterday's events.

He had made a friend and they were going to spend the whole day together. Well, most of the whole day. They were going to sit together and play together. Ranmaru had also promised that he'd show him his favourite book today. He briefly wondered if he should bring his favourite book as well.

He heard his father call him from the kitchen. He decided that his favourite book would have to wait. The grumble in his tummy reminded him that he was hungry. He wove his way through the mountains of boxes waiting to be unpacked, quickly making his way into the cramped kitchen. His mother was already seated and eating, one hand holding her mug of coffee and the other holding a magazine.

"Good morning Takuto." His father greeted him happily. Shindou Kazuo, a man of great musical talent, stood in the middle of their kitchen, pink apron around his waist and a frying pan in one hand.

Maeko looked up from her magazine and smiled. "Someone's up early," her voice was teasing, remembering the fuss her son made when she had to go wake him up the day before. "Any reason why you're so eager today, Takuto?"

"Is it because of your new friend?" Kazuo asked, placing a plate of eggs and rice in front of his son. Going to the fridge, he took out a carton of milk and began to pour it in a small cup.

Takuto nodded, cheeks too full of food to answer them properly. Once he drank his milk, he looked up at his father and asked him how he knew. Maeko smiled at her husband and handed him her used dish.

He chuckled as he started to wash his wife's plate and mug. "Mama told me about him."

Their son gave them a small annoyed huff. "I was supposed to tell him," he said, clearly showing his displeasure with his mother. Crossing his arms, he shot his mother a look and demanded an explanation.

Maeko got up, giggling at how unbearably cute her son could be when he was upset. "I'm sorry, Takuto. I just couldn't help myself. The both of you were just adorable; already so close even though you've just met," she sidled up next to her husband and wrapped her arms around his neck. "You should've seen them, honey," she sighed dreamily. "I bet the two of them are going to be best friends when they grow up."

Kazuo laughed, putting away the plates, before placing his hands on her waist. "Slow down, Maeko. You might just jinx them." He said, leaning down to rub their noses together.

Takuto made a soft whine of disgust, making his parents go into a round of laughter. The breaking point was when Kazuo dipped his wife and started to kiss her. Takuto instantly got down from his chair and ran to his room, telling his parents to stop being gross.

Maeko had stopped laughing and called after him. "Do you need any help, sweetheart?"

x

Maeko was applying her make-up when she heard her son's footsteps. She waited, listening to see if Takuto would come inside on his own. The footsteps stopped outside their door and she smiled to herself. Takuto had always been a polite child.

She put down her eyeliner, pretending that she wasn't listening to his footsteps. "Yes?" Maeko asked, expecting her son to be half dressed. He always had trouble putting on his socks. When she turned around, she raised her eyebrows in surprise. Takuto was fully dressed.

He was even wearing his socks.

"Mama? Are you done yet?"

Maeko didn't answer, still surprised that her son managed to get himself ready without her help.

"Mama?" Takuto tried again. They were going to be late if she didn't hurry up.

"Huh? Oh sorry." She shook her head. "What were you saying?"

Takuto began to pout. "I asked if you were-"

"Honey!" She called Kazuo. "Honey, come quick!"

Kazuo came running into their bedroom, rice paddle in hand and a worried expression on his face. "What? What is it? Is everything alright?"

"Honey look," she said excitedly. "Takuto got dressed. He got dressed by himself!" Maeko covered her mouth, make-up forgotten entirely.

Kazuo took a step back, a swelling kind of pride replacing his earlier emotions. The rice paddle fell from his hand.

"Papa-"

It was too late. They both heard Kazuo rummaging through the boxes, opening and closing, and stacking and unstacking. Takuto went over and picked up the paddle, scowling as he began to dust it off. He heard his father make a triumphant sound and he poked his head through the doorway.

He came back holding a camera. Maeko shrieked, making Takuto drop the paddle and cover his ears. She strode over to him, fixing his hair and straightening his shirt. There were wrinkles on it; she would have to teach him how to wear his uniform without wrinkling it. She tied the little ribbon tight -not too tight- just enough to make a cute bow shape. She would also have to teach him how not to tie it upside down.

Takuto squirmed, trying to get away from his mother's fussy hands. The wall clock was ticking and even though he didn't know how to read time yet, he knew that a fair amount had already passed.

x

Kirino Shizo knocked on her son's bedroom door. When she didn't hear a reply, she opened it slightly, peeking inside.

"Ranmaru," her son looked up from where he was seated on the floor. "What are you doing? It's almost time to go." She tutted to herself when she saw the mess that her son made.

The books that had lined the yellow bookshelf were strewn on the floor, as well as several of her son's toys. She walked towards him, picking up the books that were near her. She placed them back on the shelf and arranged them by height.

Ranmaru watched his mother before getting the other books. He sat next to her and helped her line them up. Once they were done, she put her arm around his shoulders and told him that he did a good job.

Ranmaru nodded, not really listening to her.

"Ranmaru? Is something on your mind?" She asked. He had been acting off ever since he got up that morning. Maybe he was feeling sick. "Do you feel alright?" She cupped his cheek and made him look at her, placing one hand on his forehead and checking to see if he felt warm. He seemed fine to her.

"I feel fine, mama." He said, smiling at her.

She returned the smile and kissed his forehead. "Good. We wouldn't want you to miss school now, do we?"

He quickly shook his head.

"I promised Takuto that I would bring my favourite book today."

Shizo nodded her head in understanding. She got up and went to the living room, Ranmaru trailing behind her. She vaguely remembered seeing the book on the dining table last time but she also recalled reading it to him last night.

"Mama, there it is!" He said, pointing at the book that was on top of the couch. He got up on the couch and held the book proudly. The red hardbound book was covered in plastic – Shizo covered all his books in plastic – and there was a drawing of an old man and a white dog on the front and below it was the book's title. He ran his fingers over the embossed characters, fondly looking at it.

Ranmaru flipped the book open and stopped at the first page. It had a dedication and underneath it was a dotted line. His name was neatly written above it and the name of his parents were there as well. At the bottom right of the page was the signature of the artist – Kirino Takeichi, Ranmaru's father, worked in a publishing company and knew many writers and artists because of his job – who illustrated the book.

The couch dipped slightly and Ranmaru saw his mother sit beside him.

"Turn around," she moved her finger in a circular motion. "I need to fix your hair."

He did as he was told and turned so that his back was facing her. He looked through the book, stopping on his favourite pages and taking in the sight of the lovely illustrations.

Shizo combed his hair until there weren't any tangles and started to brush it until it was soft. When she ran her fingers though his hair, he leaned into her touch. Ranmaru always found the gesture comforting and it sometimes made him sleepy.

When he started to yawn, Shizo stopped and giggled softly. The clear plastic box that she brought with her contained many different hairties with various colours and designs. She opened it and selected a light blue pair with yellow plastic stars at the end. After she had tied the two pigtails, Ranmaru got up and started to pull at his mother's hand.

"C'mon mama, it's time to go to school!"

x

The walk to school was peaceful. Ranmaru was walking ahead of his mother and gazing at some of the cherry blossoms. His family went cherry blossom viewing just a couple of weeks before and he had shown his classmates the pictures that they took.

He paused and gazed at the petals that were falling. The gentle breezes made them look as if they were dancing until they finally hit the ground. He continued walking until a strong gust blew away his cap which made him yelp in surprise.

Shizo was deep in thought when she heard her son cry out for her. Ranmaru was pointing at his cap that had flown in front of her. She picked it up and went over to where her son was standing. She placed it on his head and he mumbled a soft thank you.

He reached out for his mother's hand – which Shizo took happily- and started to tell her of a dream that he had last night.

When Ranmaru had gotten to the part where the elephants were starting to play their trumpets, he heard laughter and shrieking. He began to grin and tugged on his mother's hand, willing her to go faster. Shizo laughed and indulged him, walking quickly until they reached the gate of the small kindergarten.

"Good morning, Ranmaru-kun," Mishima Toshiro – an assistant teacher who helped Akina handle the children – greeted him. "A little late today?"

"I'm not late! I had to find my book," he said, holding it up for him to see. "Oh and, um, good morning, Toshiro-sensei." Ranmaru added before pulling on his mother's skirt.

"Good morning, Shizo-san." Toshiro gave her a warm smile, which she returned.

"What? What is it, Ran?" Shizo turned her full attention to her son who was pulling at her skirt impatiently.

"Goodbye kiss, mama." He gestured for her to bend down, pointing to his cheek.

x

After Akina and Toshiro managed to round up the children- even the ones who stubbornly refused to come down from the small treehouse- and settle everyone down, Ranmaru noticed that his new and possibly bestfriend still wasn't in class.

Every morning, before they started their lessons, Akina-sensei would pick two or three volunteers to show off something that they liked. It could be a favourite toy that they had since they were babies or a photo that was taken at a beach or perhaps an old soccer ball with their favourite soccer player's signature on it. It could even be someone's pet rabbit- that is, if they asked permission from the teachers and their parents- or pet cockatoo.

Toshiro-sensei was the one who suggested it on the first day and he called it 'Show and Tell'.

So far, all of the students thought that it was a wonderful idea, Akina-sensei included. She noticed that after their first session of 'Show and Tell', the children were more receptive and open to one another, most of them having no trouble in quickly making friends. It certainly changed her opinion towards the big city bred, tattooed assistant teacher.

"Now then," Akina said, clapping her hands to get their attention. "Would anyone like to share for today's 'Show and Tell'?" As soon as she said the words, several hands shot up in the air and noises of 'Me! Pick me! Me!' came from the small group that was seated.

Akina tapped her chin thoughtfully. "Hmm. I wonder who should go first…"

She pointed at the red haired girl who was wiggling in her seat and waving her hand around. "Hana-chan."

Hana jumped up excitedly, pumping her fists in the air and ran to the back of the classroom, grabbing a small wooden box from her cubby hole.

"Yuki-kun." A short boy with tanned skin and dark hair stood up, carefully handling the glass jar that was hidden underneath his large handkerchief. The children who were seated around him ooh-ed and ahh-ed, curious about what was underneath it and why it had to be hidden away from them.

"And finally…Ranmaru-kun."

Ranmaru's gaze was turned at the front door, expecting Takuto to come bursting in.

"Ranmaru-kun," Toshiro-sensei tried when he noticed that Ranmaru wasn't paying any attention. He approached the little boy and placed his hand on his shoulder. "Ranmaru-kun would you like to volunteer for 'Show and Tell'?" He asked softly. Despite his 'yakuza-like tattoos', as Akina once said behind his back, Toshiro was much more gentle and soft-spoken than he seemed, which was why the children adored him so much.

Ranmaru nodded slowly, his gaze still on the door. Maybe Takuto was just running late. Or maybe Takuto wasn't coming to school. Ranmaru pouted at the idea of him not coming to school. And after all that trouble he went through that morning just to find his favourite book.

Toshiro offered him his hand which Ranmaru took. He pulled his book closer to his chest as they walked towards the front of the class where his two friends were excited and giddy and ready to show and tell.

X

Minutes had passed by so slow and Takuto knew he was running late. After his parents little photoshoot, Maeko ran to get their wireless phone to call his grandparents to tell them of Takuto's new accomplishment.

While she was jabbering into the phone- Takuto swore that their neighbours could hear them, their apartment walls wasn't exactly thick and soundproof- Kazuo wiped some tears from his eyes, telling his son how proud he was of him and how he was 'growing up so fast, my little man'.

Maeko came back to the sight of her son consoling his papa and telling him that he wasn't growing up that fast. She felt a twinge of emotion and the thought of her son growing up too soon and leaving them, immediately rushing to her husband's side, rubbing his back and reassuring him that their son still had so much ahead of him.

He sniffed. "Really?"

"Really _really_." She affirmed. "This is just part of Takuto's first phase in life. Before he can marry he has to work, before he can work he has to go to college, before he graduates college he has to finish high school, and _before _he gets to high school he has to finish junior high and _before _that he must finish elementary and kinder-"Maeko stopped midsentence. "Oh no." She mumbled.

"What is it?" Kazuo asked before blowing his nose.

"Takuto!" She called. "Honey!"

"Yes, mama?" He asked when he appeared at the door. He had just put the rice paddle back on the table when he heard his mama calling for him.

"Takuto what time is it?" Maeko asked as she stood, frantically looking for her wristwatch. She accidentally knocked over a small bottle of perfume and a brush when Takuto finally answered her.

"The hands look like this, mama." He said, demonstrating what the clock's arms were pointing at.

"Shit." She swore under her breath, careful not to let him hear. She grabbed her purse and keys, kissed her husband goodbye and hastily put on her high heels. "Come on or we'll be late," She told him as he put on his shoes. "Do you need any help?"

"No thank you. I'm fine, mama."

X

By the time they had arrived at the kindergarten, the children were already busy with their worksheets. Today they were tackling shapes.

Maeko patted her son's head and told him to go inside. While she was busy explaining why he was late, Takuto placed his bag and music box into his cubby hole. He searched for his friend and saw him sitting next to the talkative redheaded girl. They were talking and working at the same time.

After his mama had waved him over and said their goodbyes –Maeko felt her heart swell with pride when Takuto didn't cry-, he got today's worksheet from the scary looking assistant teacher. When he was handed a thick pencil and some crayons, the teacher- Toshiro-sensei he said his name was- told him he could sit anywhere he wanted to.

"Thank you, Toshiro-sensei." He said. He was very different from how he looked. Takuto decided that he liked him.

He went over and pulled up a stool, setting his worksheet and pencil down.

Both Ranmaru and Hana looked up, Hana waving her hands and beaming at him while Ranmaru looked like somebody took his slice of shortcake.

Before Takuto could greet him, Hana cut him off and started telling him about a pretty bird that she saw yesterday on her way home. Takuto glanced at Ranmaru who was occupied with his worksheet.

Half an hour had passed and Akina told them that it was time to collect their worksheets. Ranmaru raised his hand and volunteered to collect the papers. He went around the tables, asking his classmates for their worksheets. Once he handed them over to Akina and she made sure that everyone turned in their work, she dismissed them all for recess.

X

"Ranmaru-kun!" Takuto called out to him as he fished around for his music box. Once they were dismissed for a short break, Hana told him that it was too bad that he wasn't able to come early. When he had asked she told him about 'Show and Tell' which was an activity that they did every morning. He was mildly disappointed when he found out that Ranmaru was picked to be one of the volunteers and he didn't get to watch.

Maybe if he talked to him nicely he'd show him his favourite book.

He went over to Ranmaru who was contentedly swinging by himself.

"What's that behind your back?" Ranmaru asked. He was still a little upset at his friend for not showing up earlier but his curiosity got the better of him when Takuto shook his head.

"Can't show it here. It's a secret." Hopefully Ranmaru would be interested in the little music box he kept from him.

The other boy scoffed and got off the swing making his way to the sandbox. "That's what Yuki-kun said earlier and it was just some dumb stick in a jar." He grabbed a pail from a mound and started to fill it with sand.

"You shouldn't say that!" He covered his mouth and lowered his voice. "That's a bad word. My mama said so."

Ranmaru looked around. Nobody was near them and they were the only ones who heard. He sighed, lowering his voice as well. "It was just some bug that looked like a stick. It wasn't that interesting. You can see a lot of them if you knew where to look," He scowled and leaned forward, gesturing for Takuto to come closer. "You're not going to tell anyone, are you?"

Takuto shook his head. "Not if you don't tell that what I have."

Ranmaru patted the space next to him.

After making sure that the coast was clear, Takuto took out the music box and held it up for his friend to see. It was bigger than Takuto's hand but not big enough that it could be easily concealed. The brown music box had intricate rose carvings surrounding the four sides and small keyhole on the front.

He took the key out of his pocket and inserted it, checking one last time, and turned it. The music box opened with a quiet click and Ranmaru's eyes grew wide.

He had never seen a music box in his whole life before but he decided that this must the most beautiful music box in the whole world.

A lovely tune began to play and tiny figurine rose from the middle. The inside of the top cover had a mirror and Ranmaru could see their reflections. The dainty looking ballerina looked elegant in her white outfit. She spun on one leg, an arm and her face upturned towards the sky.

Ranmaru watched in awe. He had never seen anything quite like it before and the music playing in the background took his breath away.

Takuto observed his friend intently, noticing the way his eyes lit up.

"It was a gift from my grandmother. She said it was because I was her favourite grandson," He giggled. "I'm her only grandson."

Ranmaru covered his smile behind his hand.

The silence settled comfortably between the both of them when Ranmaru spoke.

"Can I- Can I hold it?" He'd understand if Takuto wouldn't let him hold it. His mama told him that there were some things that people wouldn't let others touch because they were important to them and that he had to respect that.

Takuto thought it over and nodded, handing it to his friend.

The weight of the music box was heavy and the carvings on the side felt smooth. Some of the varnish had started to come off and there were some chips on the corners, a clear sign that the music box had been around for a long time.

He felt inside the music box and discovered that it was layered with a velvety sort of fabric.

"It's beautiful, Takuto-kun." He said.

Takuto smiled. He was glad that his friend liked it.

X

The students were laying down on individual mats, tummies filled with lunch and the only sounds they could hear were the whirring of the fans and the constant meowing of the cat on the roof. It was naptime at the kindergarten and most of the children were already asleep or half-awake.

Takuto and Ranmaru were lying next to each other, their hands intertwined.

After Takuto had shown him his music box, Ranmaru took out his favourite book and showed it to him. They had even asked Toshiro-sensei to read to them before naptime. The two boys enjoyed the story as well as their other classmates.

When they had rolled out their mats, Ranmaru told Takuto to sleep next to him which he gladly obliged.

"It's a good story," Takuto whispered, careful to not let himself be heard. If Akina-sensei or Toshiro-sensei heard them talking during naptime, they would get in big trouble. "I really, really liked it."

Ranmaru turned to look at him and grinned.

"I also like the drawings. The colours were very pretty."

"I'm happy that you liked it. I think your music box is also very pretty. Especially the tiny ballerina."

Takuto was the one who grinned this time.

"I think your hairties look pretty," He whispered, not sure how his friend would react. "The colour blue and stars look pretty on you."

"I think your hair looks pretty." Ranmaru replied. They stopped talking when they heard Akina-sensei walk past them. When they heard the door of the washroom shut they continued telling each other what they thought was pretty.

Toshiro-sensei placed his fingers on his lips and made a shushing sound.

The two boys giggled before Ranmaru told him that they should sleep soon. Takuto nodded, suppressing his yawn.

As Takuto closed his eyes he heard his friend say something.

"I think Takuto-kun is pretty."

He smiled.

"I think Ranmaru-kun is pretty too."

X

When Takuto woke up, their hands were still clasped together.

* * *

I FEEL SO EMBARRASSED OMGGG

This explains the shitty chapter 2. I honestly thought that I deleted this file and I was too lazy to rewrite it because I knew it was never going to be this good so I thought aw fck it and wrote a totally bs one because I was pissed at myself because i thought I lost this one

Thank you for reading, reviews/faves/follows are much adored.


	3. Chapter 3

a/n: let's get movin'!

also: haikyuu

* * *

School was about to start in a few weeks and Maeko was currently worrying about how her son would get to school.

Unlike the small kindergarten that Takuto had previously attended, the elementary school was much farther from their home. She couldn't possibly ask her husband to take him to school- he had gotten a recent job offering to teach music at the local high school and Maeko insisted that he take the job- and with her new work hours- which required her to leave their home at six in the morning due to the commute to the city- their schedules conflicted with one another and they didn't know who could take their son to school.

She bit her lower lip and lay down. The ceiling paint was starting to peel off and their landlord won't do a thing about it. At 48 years old, the mean and balding Sasakawa Kyoden was a force to be reckoned. In fact, not even Maeko's optimism and wit could bowl him over in their favour.

After their first meeting with the pompous old grouch, Maeko had instantly grown to dislike him but Kazuo merely shrugged off her harsh words about their landlord and told her to 'give it some time', they'll learn to like each other eventually.

However, no matter how many times Maeko made an effort to be neighbourly, Kyoden would either sneer or grunt at her, making her attempts at friendship futile.

She still hadn't forgotten the day when she went over to his apartment to deliver him a pineapple upside down cake- when she heard from their other tenants that it was his birthday- and found the cake in the garbage beside their building the next day.

While Maeko was figuring out how to get her son at school on time without jeopardizing her job, father and son were both busy in their tiny kitchen.

Takuto and Kazuo were both seated, pieces of paper and crayons were haphazardly strewn across the table top. Takuto was drawing a picture of a cat he had seen last week when he and his mama went to the supermarket. It was a fat white cat with orange and black spots on its body and after he went over to scratch its chin, the cat began to rub itself on his leg.

When he was finished, Takuto held it up for his papa to see. Kazuo took it from him and began to praise him and his great piece of art. He then asked Takuto why he drew a cat and his son began to tell him about the cat from last week. All the while, Kazuo was listening and nodding thoughtfully. After the story, he got up and posted the drawing on the fridge, which was covered with various other drawings made by Takuto, pictures of the three of them and music note shaped magnets.

Takuto hummed approvingly.

The pair continued drawing, Takuto started with a blue crayon and began furiously colouring the bottom half of his paper while his papa took the red crayon and started to make a red dotted line. He opted for the orange crayon when he saw that his son was using the green one and drew a small group of trees.

He dropped it next to the black crayon and took the blue one. Takuto looked up from his paper and cast a glance at what his papa was drawing. He frowned slightly when he saw the orange trees. He picked up the green crayon and held it out for his papa, waving it around to get his attention.

"Trees are green," He scolded his papa. He had never seen an orange tree before but he was sure that they didn't exist. "Trees aren't orange."

Kazuo blinked twice before chuckling and putting the black crayon down. He ruffled his son's hair, humbly admitting that he was right and took the green crayon from him. He finished colouring in the trees and showed it to his son.

"Better?"

Takuto nodded.

"Better!"

X

Ranmaru was playing with the action figures his papa got for him while his mama was folding clothes on their couch. The TV was playing some sort of gagshow, the soft sounds of the audience's laughter serving as background noise. After she had folded the last shirt, Shizo sighed and wiped the sweat from her brow. Despite the fan being at the highest setting, their house still felt terribly hot and stuffy. When she noticed how much her son was sweating, she beckoned for him to come closer. She took one of the small hand towels that she had recently folded and wiped the sweat off his face.

"Do you want to go out for some ice cream?" She asked, watching Ranmaru's eyes light up at the sound of a midafternoon treat.

Ranmaru jumped off the couch and went to their front door, quickly putting on his shoes. His papa had recently taught him how to tie his shoelaces and Ranmaru was very proud that he could lace his own shoes -although there were times wherein he couldn't knot them properly and they would come undone- without needing their help.

He was bouncing on the balls of his feet with a hand on the doorknob while his mama sipped on a pair of sandals.

He reached out for her hand as he opened the door. The sunlight was bright, making Shizo think of grabbing her sunhat.

"Mama!" Ranmaru called. He was already standing at their gate, hands gripping the steel bars.

Shizo made a mental note to buy a bottle of water before they went home.

X

Summer was ending but it was still hot. The sun was still glaring and the cicadas were still screeching, loudly singing their summer song. There were only a few children at the playground they passed by, Ranmaru waving to some of his friends from the kindergarten, Shizo following as she greeted the other mothers –who were idly chatting with one another while keeping a close eye on their children- a good afternoon.

One of the little boys playing on the swingset approached them and asked where them where going.

"We're going to get ice cream!" Ranmaru said happily.

The little boy with a blue cap gaped at him, eyes widening at the promise of something cool and delicious to ease the heat. He turned and called for his mama, asking if he could have some ice cream as well.

A plump woman reminded him that he just had ice cream earlier and the he might upset his stomach. He pouted and kicked the ground, stirring up the dust. The little girl seated on top of the slide asked her mama if she could have some ice cream, to which her mama replied that she could but only if she ate everything on her plate later during dinner.

The other children, the ones whose mamas escorted them to the playground, then began begging their respective mamas if _they_ could have some ice cream.

Mother and son walked away from the playground, Ranmaru grinning at the thought of getting ice cream soon and Shizo looking back worriedly.

Other than the playground, their walk to the convenience store was uneventful. Ranmaru swung their linked hands together, pointing at the cicadas they had seen and telling his mama how papa had told him that different cicadas had different songs. Some cicadas were loud and brash while other cicadas only sung soft songs. Ranmaru stopped and pointed at something at the side of the street. He pulled her closer, walking towards whatever he had spotted. Shizo smiled at her son's genuine curiosity.

He crouched down, telling his mama to crouch down with him.

"Look mama," He said. In front of them was a brown cicada laying on its back. "It's not moving."

"It might be dead." Shizo replied, matching the level of her son's voice.

Ranmaru shook his head. Before Shizo could say anything else, he reached forward, aiming to poke it.

"Ran! Don't-"

Shizo was irked at the thought of her son touching a dead insect but that didn't prevent him from doing so. He poked it once and it lay motionless. Shizo nearly sighed in relief.

She stood up and motioned for her son to get up as well.

"Don't you want to get ice cream, Ran?" She asked, silently urging her son to leave it alone.

Ranmaru didn't reply. He poked it again and the leg twitched. He poked it a third time and before he could realize that the cicada was still alive, it suddenly skittered up his arm, making Ranmaru and Shizo scream in surprise. He fell on his backside and Shizo dropped to her knees and began brushing the cicada off his arm. The cicada landed on a small patch of grass that was growing nearby and scampered away, leaving mother and son breathless.

A few seconds had passed and they both slowly looked at each other.

The shock from the still-alive cicada wore off and their expressions shifted, small smiles replacing open mouths. Their smiles grew into grins which evolved into loud laughter.

Shizo sat next to her son, wiping the tears from the corner of her eye. Ranmaru's face was starting to turn red, his breathing growing heavy. Their laughter soon died down and Ranmaru rubbed his eyes.

Now he wanted ice cream more than ever.

X

"Welcome!" The cashier greeted them as they entered the store. Ranmaru immediately went straight to where the ice cream was, standing on the tips of his toes to try to see which one he wanted. Shizo nodded at the young cashier –a rather plain looking boy with a splattering of freckles across his face- who she recognized as the Yamaguchis only son.

Due to Ranmaru's short height, he couldn't see much of the ice cream products that were in the freezer. He jumped twice but he was still unable to get a clear view of the colourful packages. Shizo went over to her son and picked him up, patiently waiting for him to make his decision.

"Anything catching your eye?" She asked him.

A blue packet of soda-flavoured Garigarikun looked tempting to him but he also felt like getting Papico.

"What about you, mama? What are you getting?" He asked her, hoping that he might have a better idea of what he might want if she picked first.

"I might have Pino. Although Pannap looks good too, doesn't it."

Ranmaru nodded in agreement. They did look good and he felt like he could eat two Giant Cones or four Pannaps.

They spent some time thinking about what ice cream they felt like getting, Ranmaru suggesting that they should bring home ice cream for his papa as well. Shizo agreed to his plan, picking out a Giant Cone for her husband.

"Welcome." Came a bored sounding voice when the automated sliding doors dinged open. A tall, rather intimidating blond was the one who greeted the father and son who entered, the freckle faced cashier scolding him lightly, telling him to sound friendlier.

"Papa let's get ice cream too!" A familiar voice said.

Ranmaru, who was holding a box of Pino and a pack of Garigarikun and standing next to his mama, left her side and looked for the owner of the voice. He heard footsteps come from the other end of the aisle and he strode faster, wanting to see if he was right.

The boy's papa seemed to be in the other aisle, searching for something to drink. A boy around his age was looking at the different snacks that lined the aisle, eyes roaming the variety of salty chips and sweet biscuits. At the sight of the boy, Ranmaru ran forward, excited at seeing his best friend again.

"Takuto!" He yelled, irritating the blond cashier who was busy stacking packs of cigarettes.

X

Takuto and Ranmaru were both talking to each other loudly, telling each other about the white cat with orange and black spots and about the still-alive cicada. Both boys had their own Garigarikun –Takuto decided that he wanted to have the same ice cream that his best friend was having- while the adults settled with Pino.

They were walking ahead of their parents, updating each other on what they had been doing and laughing at their shared jokes. Shizo had interrupted once and asked where Maeko was and Kazuo had told her that she was back home, settling some bills and holding down the fort.

At the mention of the word 'fort', Ranmaru excitedly asked his mama if Takuto could come over to their house and build a fort with him.

"I don't have any issues with Takuto-kun coming over. You have to ask Shindou-san for permission first though." She replied, nibbling at chocolate-covered ice cream drop.

"Shindou-san, can Takuto build a fort at my house?" He asked.

"Can I, papa?" Takuto joined.

The two boys went over to Kazuo and took hold of his hands, pulling and swinging them around. The older man was thankful that he had already finished eating his ice cream earlier or else things would have gotten messy, and if there was one thing that his wife hated, besides their grouchy landlord, it was sticky ice cream related messes.

"I'm alright with that idea but we have to call and ask your mama, okay?"

"Okay!"

The two boys let go of his hands and resumed talking to each other, running slightly ahead of Shizo and Kazuo. Kazuo ducked his head and sheepishly looked at Shizo, asking her if he could use their phone at home.

X

When they had arrived home, they hurriedly took their shoes off and Ranmaru grabbed Takuto's hand, dragging him to his room. Takuto looked on in awe when he saw the toys inside the bright green chest and he ogled at the multiple books that Ranmaru had.

"You have so many books," He said softly, taking one out and looking at the hardbound cover. "More books than I do. Like, a gazillion of books." He slid it back in and pulled out another one.

"My papa works with people who writes books." Ranmaru said, giggling at how his best friend enjoyed how many books he had.

"That's so cool! And they just give you the books? Just like that?"

"Sometimes. Sometimes papa has to buy them," He shrugged his shoulders. "But most of my books were gifts from the people who wrote them!"

"Cool." Takuto said, staring at the blue hardbound book. It had a picture of a lady wearing a beautiful gown and it had a huge pumpkin in the background. Neither his papa nor his mama knew anyone who wrote books nor did they write any books themselves. He knew that his mama was very good with math and with talking to other people and his papa was good at creating music.

"My papa makes music," He said, as if it wasn't one of the most amazing things Ranmaru had ever heard all the day. "And he's going to teach music soon."

The both of them were already seated on the floor and when Takuto told Ranmaru that his papa made music, he had leaned forward, interested in what Takuto's papa did. He then began asking questions about Takuto's papa and after Takuto answered them, he asked questions about Ranmaru's papa.

They spent half of the afternoon just talking.

They talked about what their papas did, they talked about what their mamas did, they talked about what they wanted to be when they grew up.

Ranmaru shot his arms in the air, proudly telling Takuto that he wants to become an astronaut one day.

"What's an astronaut?" Takuto asked, rolling over so that he was laying on his stomach. It was a word he had never heard of before but it sounded wonderful to him. He replayed the word again and again in his head.

Ranmaru lay on his back, making wild gestures and motions above his head.

"They're people who go to space. Where the stars are." He explained. He then pointed at the glow-in-the-dark sticky stars that stuck to the ceiling of his bedroom.

Takuto rolled his way towards Ranmaru. They paused to laugh, clutching at their sides. Once they had stopped laughing and Takuto was close enough, Ranmaru continued.

"I want to be where the moon and stars are." He said. There were various sticky stars of different sizes that were stuck to his ceiling and in one corner was the moon, round and full, surrounded by smaller stars.

Takuto's head spun with the promises of going where the stars lived and of jumping on the moon. Ranmaru's smile never left his face as he told him about the millions of planets that were probably out there. He told him about a red planet and a planet that had plenty of moons and planet that wore rings around it. He told him about wanting to meet aliens and being friends with them and getting invited to royal parties.

They story of going where the stars lived went on and on, spinning ribbons around the two boys. The story had no definite beginning and had no end, continuing like a river into the open sea.

The story had left them both breathless and Ranmaru's dream became Takuto's dream.

Eventually, the open sea turned into a stream which then trickled into a brook. Ranmaru had stopped speaking but the story continued within them, the promise of adventures spurred on in their heads and their hearts hammered in their chests, beating wildly for a release.

"If you want," Ranmaru spoke gently, making Takuto stir from his daydream. "I could bring you back a star. Or make a castle for the both of us on the moon."

Takuto blinked twice.

"Maybe…Maybe I can go with you. To the stars and to the moon and-and to the planet with the rings around it!" He said loudly, making Ranmaru jump slightly. "Sorry."

Ranmaru merely smiled at him.

"That sounds like a great idea," He said, looking at his best friend. "Let's go to the stars together."

Takuto felt elated when he heard him say that. He hadn't shot him down and told him that he couldn't come with him. Ranmaru was practically inviting him.

He wondered what they would do once they were there. Would they go fishing for stars or would they stars just fall into their arms? Would they build a castle on the moon or would they run into anyone else there? Would they have picnic on one of the rings of that one planet Ranmaru told him about or would they go moon-hopping on that one planet that had more moons than the earth?

Takuto didn't know what he wanted to do first so he decided to just let Ranmaru choose, although, he knew for sure that he wanted to do everything with him.

"Ah!"

"What is it?" Takuto asked.

"Do you think we still need to ask permission from our mamas and papas?"

X

The Shindou family ended up staying and having dinner at the Kirino household after Kazuo had called his wife.

When Kazuo had told his son that they had to go home, Takuto pleaded with his papa that they go home much later. He was having too much fun playing with Ranmaru and he didn't want to go home quite yet. Ranmaru eventually heard Takuto asking his papa if they could stay later and he had joined in, asking Takuto's papa politely if he would allow his son to stay since they weren't done playing yet.

Shizo had interceded, telling her son that he was being very impolite and that Takuto and Kazuo had to go home soon. When Takuto heard this, he then asked Shizo if he could stay. The boys took turns ganging up on their parents, asking for permission and pleading for them to let them stay a little longer.

Eventually, Kazuo detached himself from the two boys and asked Shizo if he could make another phone call. He went to the kitchen and began dialing home. He could hear Shizo lightly scolding the boys.

He leaned against the counter, speaking in a hushed voice so that they couldn't hear him.

When Shizo was done scolding the two boys, Ranmaru went back to his room, upset not only because Takuto was going home but also because he got in trouble for it. Shizo then patted Takuto on the head and told him to go to his papa.

Shizo helped him sit on the dining chair and asked if he wanted anything to drink. He shook his head in reply, looking sorry for his behaviour earlier. He drummed his fingers on the tabletop, waiting for his papa to finish with his call.

He didn't like the idea of going home so soon –and just when they had started to make plans on what they would do first when they went to the stars- but if his mama said he had to go home, then he had to go home.

He sighed and placed his elbows on the table, resting his face in his hands. From the corner of his eye, he saw his papa say goodbye and hang up. He then motioned for Shizo to come closer and he whispered something to her.

Takuto frowned and looked at his hands, knowing that he shouldn't listen in.

"Takuto," His papa started, resting his hand on his shoulder. "How would you like to stay for dinner here?"

He beamed at his papa and glanced at Shizo, who was smiling fondly at the brunet.

"Thank you, papa!"

He jumped down from his seat and ran to Ranmaru's room. Shizo giggled while Kazuo watched on. After he pushed the chair back, she asked him if he could help with preparing dinner.

X

"And then, and then the cicada climbed up my arm!"

The two families were enjoying dinner and the company of each other. After Shizo gave her husband a quick call informing him that they would have guests over, he came home early with a smile on his face.

Ranmaru had excitedly greeted his papa when he arrived. He then introduced Takuto who stammered and gave a quick bow. After they had been introduced, Kazuo stepped forward and introduced himself to Kirino Shojiro.

Shizo had cooked up her famous seafood spaghetti- after she asked if anyone in the Shindou family was allergic to seafood- and Maeko brought a strawberry shortcake which she quickly bought on her way to the Kirino household.

The children were talking to each other and to Ranmaru's papa. Takuto was still fascinated that his best friend's papa knew people who wrote books and he kept asking him many questions, Ranmaru riding along and asking questions of his own.

Shizo entertained Maeko and Kazuo, casually talking with Maeko about anything that came to mind and exchanging recipes with Kazuo. Maeko was a delight, telling jokes and making the two boys laugh while Shizo and the others laughed and clapped.

After dinner and plates were put away to be washed later, Maeko took the shortcake out from the fridge, asking her new best friend for a knife and some dessert platters.

After slices were handed around-Maeko made sure to give the children smaller slices since they already had ice cream earlier- Ranmaru and Takuto had quieted down, choosing to savour the sweet taste of cream and strawberries. The adults had some after dinner coffee while making light conversation.

They eventually breached the topic of school and Maeko soon found herself talking about how they couldn't bring Takuto to school.

"Why not, Maeko-chan?" Shizo asked before sipping her coffee.

"Kazuo and I are going to be busy soon and our schedules are just too packed. We won't even be able to have breakfast together anymore. Or at least, for a few months." Maeko sighed, placing her fork down when she had finished with her slice. Kazuo nodded, backing his wife up. As much as they would love to bring him to school personally, they just couldn't do it. "I mean, we _might_ be able to bring him to school for the first two weeks or so but after that, we just can't anymore."

Shizo hummed, trying to quickly formulate a plan.

She didn't want her new best friend missing work nor did she want her best friend's husband to miss work either. The answer finally came to her and she couldn't believe how simple it was.

"Maeko-chan, why don't I bring Takuto-kun to school? He _is_ going to the same school as Ran, right?"

Maeko visibly brightened. She reached across the table, attempting to give Shizo a hug and claiming how she was brilliant and it was very kind of her to offer and that yes, Takuto was going to the same school as Ranmaru.

The women were talking fast, already making plans for school. Takuto looked over his shoulder and saw his mama hugging Ranmaru's mama. He turned away and gave his attention to the TV which was playing some sort of animated movie. He was pulled into the living room when they had both finished their slices of cake and after Ranmaru had asked permission.

"They're so noisy." Ranmaru murmured, not wanting to add to the noise their mamas were already making.

Takuto only nodded, agreeing with him and wishing that they would quiet down a little. He couldn't hear what the characters were saying.

The character on the screen was a woman with blonde hair and a woman dressed in blue suddenly appeared to her. She conjured up a wand and began waving it about, singing a song and turning the pumpkin into a carriage. Takuto and Ranmaru were both swaying to the tune of the music.

The brunet thought that everything about the woman and the pumpkin looked familiar.

The shrill voices of their mamas quieted and they could hear the sounds of pates being collected and the water running. At last, they could hear what was going on in the movie.

"I hope we get to be classmates." Takuto said absentmindedly. He then realized what he said and as he was about to take it back, Ranmaru replied.

"Yeah. I want to be classmates with Takuto too."

The other boy grinned to himself. He felt glad that Ranmaru wanted to be his classmate as well.

Their papas had made their way into the living room. They sat on the couch, joining their sons as they watched whatever movie was playing. Their mamas followed after, careful not to disturb their sons as they kept watching from their spot on the floor.

X

Kazuo collected his son from where he had fallen asleep. He gently shook him awake, whispering that it was time to go home. Takuto couldn't even protest since he was so tired. While his papa was trying to get him to wake up, Shojiro had already woken his son up and was beckoning him to go to bed.

Ranmaru refused, sleepily telling his papa that he hadn't said goodbye to Takuto yet.

Kazuo tried once more, telling his son that Ranmaru was going to say goodbye. Despite how drowsy Takuto was, he was determined to bid his best friend good night and goodbye. He fought the sleep from his eyes and lazily got up, yawning as he did so.

The Shindou family was escorted to the gate, Ranmaru clinging on his mama's skirt and Takuto trying to catch up to his papa. Once they were outside, Kazuo scooped his son up and Maeko was already thanking the Kirino family for their hospitality and kindness.

Takuto opened an eye and saw Ranmaru yawning before he waved goodbye.

Takuto felt himself yawn as he waved back.

The summer night sky was clear and the stars were out, showing off their light to those who were still awake. Takuto rested his cheek in his papa's shoulder while his mama hummed a soft lullaby.

They passed by two teenage boys –Kazuo recognized them as the two cashiers from the convenience store- who were on their way home. They spoke in hushed voices, the blond one seemingly kinder when there weren't any annoying children around and the one with freckles softly laughing at what the taller teenager had said.

The three of them got home safe and sound. Their apartment was brought back to life when Maeko turned on the lights. Kazuo went straight onto Takuto's room, brushing his hair as he did so. He lay his son down and kissed his forehead before tucking him in, Maeko slipping inside and kissing him as well.

The door was shut and the light in the hallway was turned off.

That night, Takuto dreamed of going where the stars lived and hopping on moons with Ranmaru.

* * *

thanks for reading! dont forget to review

me *chanting softly in the background*: tsukkiyama tsukkiyama tsukkiyama tsukkiyama tsukkiyama


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